


the peril of mr. flippers

by vaahtokarkki



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Childhood Memories, Fluff, M/M, izumi has 2 lines, no stuffed animals were harmed in the making of this fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-11
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-08-19 11:36:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20209096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaahtokarkki/pseuds/vaahtokarkki
Summary: Looking back, their first meeting was full of embarrassment. Would it be too much to hope that Shu doesn't remember it?Entry for round 3 of ESO!





	the peril of mr. flippers

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the last round of ESO! The prompt I used was "Memories and Recordings".
> 
> My favourite headcanon for Kaoru's mom is that she was a marine biologist, so I put that in here <3

Kaoru’s father doesn’t usually bring him along for work meetings, but for whatever reason this time’s different – Kaoru’s older siblings are accounted for and his mother is at work, which only leaves him alone.

_ It’ll be good practise, _ his father says. _ One day when you’re older you’ll be doing this kind of work too. _

Kaoru doesn’t understand how his father knows this. His mom says he can do whatever he wants when he grows up, and if Kaoru can choose he won’t choose whatever it is his father does. It looks boring, and Kaoru would rather do what his mom does, work with exciting and interesting marine animals.

The house they go to is a big one. Bigger than their own, with a large chandelier hanging in the very first room. Hallways spread from the room, stairs, and the walls and floors are lined with all kinds of pretty materials. It’s scary, and Kaoru wants to run away. However, his father refuses to listen when he asks if they can go back home.

The man that greets them is scary too. He’s tall and serious, but maybe that’s why he’s meeting Kaoru’s dad. Maybe they have a meeting between tall and serious men. Kaoru glances around for any other tall men, but there are none. Instead he sees a boy around his own age, clutching at a doll.

The boy stares at him with suspicion, and Kaoru looks back curiously. The boy isn’t smiling, but he feels like a nicer option than the tall man. His hair is a cute shade of pink (Kaoru didn’t know children came with pink hair, he thought only adults did), and the doll he’s holding is cute too.

Kaoru smiles nervously, and the boy looks at the floor. His father has been speaking with the other man for a while, but Kaoru hasn’t paid attention. Now, however, Kaoru’s father addresses him.

”We’re going to talk business. Why don’t you go ahead and play with…?”

”Shu”, the other man supplies.

”Do I have to?” Kaoru asks, suddenly anxious. Sure, this Shu is probably nicer than his father, but being separated is still scary.

”Be a good boy, now”, his father urges.

So Kaoru is, and he follows Shu who seems just as hesitant. Shu walks briskly up a set of stairs, and Kaoru has to skip a few steps to not fall behind. He clutches tighter at the duck plushie he brought with him for comfort.

His father hadn’t wanted him to bring it, but after Kaoru wouldn’t stop crying he finally agreed.

Once at the top of the stairs Shu suddenly stops. He turns around to look at Kaoru. Kaoru catches up to him and then wonders if he should say something.

”Um… so…” Then it hits him; a subject. ”The doll, what’s her name…?”

”Are you going to make fun of me?”

It’s the first time Kaoru has heard Shu speak, and the tone shakes him. As if he _ expected _ Kaoru to make fun of him.

”N-no? What for?”

”Everyone else does”, Shu mutters. ”They say dolls are for girls.”

Kaoru doesn’t know what to say to that. Sure, it’s weird that this guy has a doll, but it’s nothing to tease him about, right…?

”W-well, I think she’s pretty”, Kaoru lays his eyes down. ”I don’t wanna make fun of you, we’ve just met.”

”Hm”, Shu huffs. He doesn't seem entirely convinced, but at least any initial hostility seems to be gone. He turns back around and continues walking, now even faster than before.

”W-wait”, Kaoru gasps. ”Slow down, please-”

He starts walking too fast and ends up tripping over his own feet. He falls down, Mr. Flippers slipping from between his arms.

He lands hard, and tears immediately well in his eyes. It _ hurts, _ and he dropped Mr. Flippers. What if he’s hurt, too?

”A… a…”

Someone’s kneeling beside him, but Kaoru barely even notices. He frantically looks for Mr. Flippers, who’s laying on the floor with his little feet twisted.

”H-hey”, he hears and looks up. It’s the boy, Shu.

”I w-want my mom”, Kaoru sobs. ”She can fix Mr. Flippers. H-he’s h-h-hurt.”

”Listen -”

”N-nooo”, Kaoru sobs harder. Tears are now falling on his cheeks. ”It hurts, where’s my mom?”

”I don’t know. Get up”, Shu tugs at Kaoru’s arm.

”Wait, no, Mr. Flippers”, Kaoru panics. ”I gotta help Mr. Flippers.”

Shu bends down and very gently picks up Mr. Flippers.

”I’ll fix him”, he promises. ”Can you get up?”

Kaoru is so surprised at the promise he nearly forgets he’s crying. Then the sudden kindness twists his belly, and he resumes crying even harder.

”Y-y-y-yes”, he sobs. ”Y-yes.”

Holding both the doll and Mr. Flippers with one arm and taking Kaoru’s hand in his other hand, Shu leads them to a room not far from the stairs. Inside the sight is so wondrous Kaoru stops crying for good.

There’s so many dolls.

”Here”, Shu tugs Kaoru in further. He leads Kaoru to a small table, where he lays down Mr. Flippers.

”Is he gonna be okay…?” Kaoru asks. He’s scared for Mr. Flippers’s life, but Shu seems very certain in himself.

”Yes. Let me see.” Shu lays the doll down in a sitting position, then starts inspecting Mr. Flippers. ”His leg is twisted, but he’ll be fine with some first aid.”

When Shu turns Mr. Flippers, Kaoru spots it; some stuffing peeking from the seam.

”He’s bleeding!” Kaoru exclaims. ”Are you sure -”

”What was your name?” Shu asks. The question is unexpected enough that Kaoru is immediately distracted from the peril Mr. Flippers is in.

”K-Kaoru.”

”Okay. Kaoru, I need you to look after Genevieve for me.”

Shu clearly hesitates, but finally picks up the doll from the table.

”Genevieve…?” Kaoru mutters. ”O… okay.”

Genevieve has black hair and large, blue eyes. Kaoru carefully takes her from Shu’s hands.

”Sit over there”, Shu gestures towards a large bed. ”I will help Mr. Flippers.”

Kaoru does as instructed. He holds the doll close, afraid of hurting her. He wonders what her personality is like; he wants to imagine it but holds himself back. He shouldn’t go guessing about Shu’s dear friend. She’s real pretty, though, like the other dolls he can see in the room. How many are there? Do they all have names? Kaoru has a lot of plushies and they all have names, so he decides all of Shu’s dolls must be named too.

”I’m done”, Shu announces, shaking Kaoru out of his thoughts. He didn’t even realise Shu was working on Mr. Flippers…!

”Is he-” Kaoru jumps up from the bed.

”See for yourself”, Shu says proudly. Kaoru skips closer and gasps. No more stuffing in sight! Shu has stitched the wound so neatly that Kaoru can’t even see the tear anymore!

”Th-thank you!” Kaoru sobs. ”Thank you so much! Here!”

He hands Genevieve back to Shu and takes Mr. Flippers in his hands. He’s crying again, but this time of happiness.

”It was nothing”, Shu mutters, turning his gaze away. His cheeks are red. ”Come here.”

”Wuh-why?” Kaoru blinks. He looks up at Shu and sniffs, but takes a step closer.

”Here”, Shu reaches out. He takes a hold of Kaoru’s face and dabs under his eyes with some paper. ”I’ll help you with those tear marks.”

”O-oh.” Shu’s touch is surprisingly gentle (Kaoru expected differently with how stern his eyes were in the beginning), but maybe this is the touch he also helped Mr. Flippers with. It almost reminds him of his mother, and he giggles.

Shu raises a brow.

”I just thought”, Kaoru smiles, ”that you’re pretty cute for a boy, Shu-kun!”

”D-don’t say that so freely”, Shu scolds. ”Besides, you’re cuter.”

”No, you”, Kaoru sticks out his tongue. ”Even when you’re being cranky like that.”

He expects Shu to say something back, but instead Shu reaches out to quickly kiss Kaoru’s cheek. Kaoru’s eyes go wide and his cheeks warm up.

”See? You’re cuter”, Shu lifts his chin. ”_Much _ cuter.”

* * *

The next time Kaoru meets Itsuki Shu they’re more than ten years older. Kaoru recognises him instantly; that pink hair, the prissy expression, a doll on his arm.

Kaoru learns that this doll is called _ Mademoiselle_. He learns that Shu still sews. He learns many other things too, but he never learns if _ Shu _ remembers _ him_.

Thinking back on how he cried all over Shu’s house over a plushie makes him wish it was a no.

Thinking back on how Shu _ kissed _ him makes him wish even harder it was a no.

By the summer of their third year, after Shu has not once mentioned the incident, Kaoru is more than convinced that it is, in fact, a no.

* * *

”Uh, sorry”, Kaoru smiles nervously. ”And thanks.”

”It is no trouble”, Shu says absentmindedly. He’s currently tracing the skin under Kaoru’s eyes, evaluating the marks.

Kaoru is embarrassed to admit he cried again. Even more so because Shu noticed (somehow, he always does).

Naturally, Shu is now offering to cover them up. A light scolding about Kaoru not carrying any makeup on him followed by a huff and Shu taking out his own makeup bag.

(Truth be told, these days Kaoru forgets on purpose so he can have Shu’s undivided attention on him for a moment.)

Neither of them speaks while Shu begins dabbing foundation on Kaoru’s face. Kaoru stares at Shu’s features, mesmerising up close. Shu doesn’t meet his gaze, too focused on covering the red around Kaoru’s eyes.

Shu’s hands are gentle as always. They were gentle the first time ever Shu touched his face, and that hasn’t changed.

Kaoru sniffs once and Shu looks up, worried. Kaoru shakes his head; it’s just the effect of the earlier crying he did.

”Really”, Shu mutters, so quietly Kaoru nearly doesn’t catch the word. ”You haven’t changed since you were a child.”

Shu’s fingers trace Kaoru’s cheek, light as a feather.

Kaoru freezes. Since he was…?

Shu… remembers?!

”Y-you…?” Kaoru gasps. ”You remember-”

”Hm? Of course I do”, Shu looks up. ”Since you-”

The sentence is cut off as Shu looks down and coughs. Kaoru realises his face must currently betray everything, as he can feel the furious blush spreading on his skin.

”You never said anything, so I thought you didn’t”, Kaoru looks away.

”I thought the same of you.”

”How could I forget? You called me _ cute.” _

”Hakaze”, Shu huffs, grabbing Kaoru’s chin to make him look at him. ”You called me cute _ first.” _

”Well, you called me _ cuter”, _ Kaoru accuses. ”And then you…!”

He can’t bring himself to say it out loud.

”Then I what?” Shu asks, a smug smile spreading on his face. ”What did I do?”

”You k… kis…” Kaoru stutters. ”You kissed me…”

Shu leans in and plants a chaste kiss on Kaoru’s cheek.

”Like so?” he murmurs, face still hovering close to Kaoru’s.

”_Exactly _ like that”, Kaoru gasps. ”But _ this _ never happened.”

He takes Shu by surprise this time, closing the distance and placing a kiss of his own on Shu’s lips. Shu jerks back, his face going red in turn. Eyes wide, he brings a hand to his lips.

”Y-you…!” Shu is frozen for just a moment before coming back closer, determined. First he kisses the top of Kaoru’s nose, then his lips.

Kaoru smiles against Shu’s lips as Shu lingers for a moment.

”Oh my _ god”, _ Izumi’s voice breaks through the haze, through the thrill and excitement of kissing Shu. ”You’re not the only people in the room, you know.”

Shu breaks off from Kaoru with a frustrated pout as Kaoru remembers they are, in fact, _ not _ alone in the classroom.

”If you were kissing Hakaze, you’d understand”, Shu huffs. ”He’s _ divine_.”

”You’re more divine”, Kaoru claims. ”Like, _ really _ divine. A lot.”

”No, you’re-”

Izumi’s groan is loud enough to break some eardrums, Kaoru thinks.


End file.
